Thursday, March 3, 2011

Sri Lanka star and Room to Read Ambassador Angelo Mathews played his part in promoting the importance of literacy and access to books on Wednesday at a special reading event in Colombo.
Mathews met with children from across Sri Lanka who benefit from the work of Room to Read, one of the ICC’s social legacy partners for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.

Mathews took part in a series of literacy based activities, before reading a passage from a cricket themed book to the children, before answering questions on Sri Lanka’s chances at the tournament.

“I really enjoyed having the opportunity to meet children from Room to Read and learn about how the organisation’s work is helping young people across Sri Lanka, said Mathews.”

“Room to Read is doing a lot to help young people have the chance to improve their literacy skills and benefit from an education and I think it is very important that we are raising awareness of these issues at the ICC Cricket World Cup. By providing young people with an education, they can then go on to play an important role in their own communities.”

A series of player appearances to promote the importance of reading are planned throughout the tournament as part of a wide range of activities to promote the event.

Reliance Life Insurance, in a first-of-its-kind initiative – ‘Boundaries for Books’ – will contribute Rs. 25,000 for every six hit during the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.

This donation will be made to Room to Read, towards establishing libraries and providing local language and English books to disadvantaged children. Every single six will ensure that at least 30 children get access to fully functional libraries with books and trained teachers.